The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for forming loose meat particles, such as fish meat particles, into solid chunks.
It has been recognized that lumps of certain foodstuffs such as crabmeat for example, are more commercially valuable than smaller lumps or loose flakes thereof. In the processing of crabs, meat is removed in the form of both lumps and flakes, with the former being marketable at higher prices than the latter which is less desired.
Proposals have been heretofore made for forming loose meat flakes into lumps, as evidenced for example by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,046. Such proposals have included the process of loading loose meat into a hopper and pushing the meat from the hopper and through a smaller-diameter horizontal tube by means of a large-diameter plunger located in the hopper. The meat pushed through the tube enters a plurality of mold cavities aligned with an end of the tube. The shape of the mold cavities corresponds to that of the lumps into which the meat is to be formed. The cavities are disposed in a rotatable mold plate which, once the cavities have been filled, is rotated to expose the filled cavities while simultaneously locating a set of empty cavities, also carried by the mold plate, into alignment with the tube to receive a new charge of meat.
Among the shortcomings of such prior proposals include the difficulty involved in achieving a uniform pressure in the tube during each cavity-filling step, especially when large diameter plungers are employed to push meat through a smaller diameter tube. In the absence of uniform pressure during the molding step, the lumps do not possess a uniform density or "bite".
Another problem involves the need to produce a seal between the end of the tube and the mold plate in order to prevent meat from escaping laterally during a cavity-filling step. This could be accomplished by providing a seal ring compressed between the tube and the mold cavity, but during subsequent rotation of the mold plate, the seal would be subjected to considerable frictional rubbing and resultant wear.
Yet another problem involves the removal of the meat lumps from the cavities. In one instance a scraper blade has been employed to scoop each meat lump from the cavity. However, the blade had a tendency to deform the shape of the lump. In another instance a pressurized air stream was introduced through the back wall of each cavity to blow the lump from the cavity. However, the concentrated intensity of such air stream frequently resulted in a hole being formed through the lump. Also, the air jets exhibited a tendency to become clogged with meat which entered thereinto during the cavity-filling stage.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to minimize or obviate problems of the type discussed above.
A further object is to provide an apparatus for forming loose meat into lumps of uniform density.
Another object is to provide a mold for forming such lumps wherein the lumps are removed from the mold without being appreciably damaged or deformed.
A further object is to provide for the evacuation of excess air and liquid from mold cavities during the filling thereof with loose meat.
Yet another object is to provide for a tight seal around the mold cavities as they are being filled and around gas holes during ejection of the lumps.
A further object is to enable an insufficient pressure in the meat injecting pipe to be detected.